Wounded Soul, Hidden Tears
by OptimisticMuffins
Summary: Kagome has already survived a war, an object of power, crippling personal loss and emerged stronger for it. However, can she survive it again with new faces and an elf who shows more curiosity than Kagome cares to satisfy? Lego/Kag
1. Prologue

**HE-LLO, READERS! I've been working on ideas for this for awhile now, and I'm still not sure where it's going, but I have an idea. Ish. So this will be periodically updated. And it will start moving faster pretty soon (sooner than Shinobi in Middle Earth, at least. Hm, Middle Earth…common theme, perhaps?) ENJOY! Pairings…you'll see.**

**P.S. I was KittyAuthor6 for ages. I have (within the past month or so) changed to OptimisticMuffins. Note that, and you'll be fine. Thanks!**

**DISCLAIMER: I own neither Lord of the Rings nor InuYasha (because if I did this would be a weird TV special, and not a fanfic. Mua-hahaha!!!).**

_(((Prologue))) _

"Here? She is sending someone here?" A male with long, dark hair was saying.

"Yes," another man, with long white hair and gray robes this time, answered. "Here. What she is thinking I cannot tell; but the person she is sending is a young girl who has apparently suffered some loss. When I questioned her, she simply said to me that she would tell me at a later meeting when she had more time available." Now the two men were walking through the stately hallways of their abode; slowly, contemplatively.

"A young girl…how strange. Perhaps she is losing her touch?"

"Midoriko? Ho, surely you cannot be serious, Master Elrond!" The old man chuckled. "When she loses her touch, surely there will be something fatally amiss with the worlds."

"You speak logic, Gandalf, as usual," Elrond said, inclining his dark head. "When is she to arrive—this girl, I mean?"

"Today, I believe. Midoriko did say that she personally would be accompanying our guest, who is apparently a promising protégé of hers," replied Gandalf.

"This guest, I presume, has a name?"

"Indeed, she does. Kagome Higurashi, from the land of Japan." At the name, Elrond raised his eyebrows slightly. Gandalf noticed. "Does this name mean something to you, perhaps?" the latter inquired.

"Perhaps…" Elrond murmured to himself, rubbing his chin. "If she…well, no, that isn't possible. We shall see, I suppose, my friend. We shall see."

Darkness. Loud darkness, full of nightmares, empty of relief. It was everywhere. It was suffocating.

"…can't seem to pull herself out of it, I'm afraid…" a feminine voice was saying, her words laced with worry.

"We'll do all we can to aid, but I don't know what a group of old men can do that you cannot," a man answered dubiously.

"Well, I suppose Arwen has a better chance in this situation than we do, does she not?" a second man proposed. There were no faces, only voices keeping the visions away. She felt herself being lifted and carried somewhere and lost what little interest she had, slipping back slowly into nothingness. Only one logical thought lodged in her mind.

Kagome knew painfully well that she was alone.

**And that's a wrap! So, I will be working on this in the coming weeks. I already have a lot of it written out (in notebooks). Anyways, this will be explained later (sort of) but not anytime soon ;) So, good luck and hopefully you'll keep reading! I'll give you something, I guess—Kagome will be going on the quest, and she won't basically be a lifeless shell.**

**Thanks!**

**Love and Huggles**

**OptimisticMuffins**


	2. The Beginning

**Well, I'm very sorry it's been so long. I haven't abandoned it! My first year of college turned out to be very difficult regarding both classwork and the adjustment to college life. It's taken over a year to get things in order and my summer was stressful and difficult, followed by a fall semester that had a very demanding course load (curse you, engineering curriculum!) Thankfully, though, I think I'm finally back to myself (mostly) and I really wanted to get this posted because I FINALLY got inspired again. I have to say, THANK YOU to everyone who continued to follow this story! Even when it hadn't been updated in over a year and only had one chapter, I still found myself receiving emails as people added this story and it really made me feel great and motivated me to get this done! You all are fantastic!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or Lord of the Rings.**

**Secondary disclaimer: I have realized that there will probably be some plot holes, hopefully none gaping or glaringly obvious. They won't be plot holes pertaining to the actual story, only the backstory, due to some…creative license I'll be taking, but seeing as this is a fan's work of fiction, I trust that you will forgive me and enjoy what I'm writing anyways. If you're not enjoying it, please let me know what I could do to improve it (or, if you just don't like the story, why read something you don't like?). Thanks!**

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Kagome awoke to sunlight pricking at her eyelids and birds gently chirping in the distance. For some reason, whatever she was lying on was incredibly soft and comfortable. The endless throbbing that she could only vaguely recall from her last conscious moments was greatly dulled and the grimy feeling she had grown accustomed to was gone. With as much curiosity as she could muster (which was not much), she opened her eyes and looked around. A high, vaulted ceiling and a warm golden glow from the sun were the first things she noticed, followed by the fact that she was resting on a bed, covered in bandages with a pillow below her head.

She heard a voice speaking to her in a strange language and turned her head towards the sound, the source of which turned out to be a woman in dark hair—nobility of some kind, judging by her dress. She absently noted that the stranger's hair was even longer than Sango's, and the unbidden thought of her friend caused a wave of grief so strongly felt that she squeezed her eyes shut against tears.

"Where am I?" she rasped out when she had regained control of herself. The strange woman's face, which seemed to radiate an unearthly kind of beauty, became confused. She held up a finger as if to say "wait" and left. Kagome could hear her calling for—someone? something? who knew?—outside of whatever room she was lying in. Eventually the woman returned with an older man, who greeted Kagome in her own tongue.

"Where is this?" Kagome asked immediately, relieved that she was still somewhere presumably not far from home.

"Middle Earth, in the Elven dwelling of Rivendell," he answered. "I am Elrond."

"I…have never heard of such a place," Kagome murmured, unease growing in her gut. "Elves?"

"It does not exist in your world. Your mentor has brought you here."

"I don't understand." At Kagome's bewildered statement, Elrond's face grew somber.

"You are in another world now, one that exists apart from the world you come from. Midoriko brought you here, I know not how. Thus, I cannot return you," he explained, sympathy in his eyes.

"I…I can't go home?"

"It is impossible. I am sorry." The words, spoken with such finality, echoed in Kagome's mind until her head spun. Elrond frowned in alarm, looking decidedly worried. "You look unwell. Perhaps you should rest more. Do you need water?"

"I…I…" Unable to finish her thought, Kagome slumped back against the pillows, unconscious.

Life did not improve much for Kagome for quite some time after her first return to the waking world; when she next opened her eyes, she was able to sit up on her own, but when she went to brush her hair out of her face her hands seemed to hit some sort of point. With growing alarm she felt her ears and when the lady from before—Arwen, as she introduced herself—entered a short time later desperately motioned for a mirror. When she saw her reflection she could no longer shake her suspicions off as stress-induced delusions—her ears had grown to a slight point. Arwen, seeing Kagome's mounting panic, wisely reclaimed the mirror before it could be flung across the room, and Kagome burst into hysterical tears. It seemed she had somehow spontaneously gained Elvish traits.

The next several months were nothing but misery. After a few weeks, Kagome began to take care of herself again instead of wandering about in an apathetic stupor, which brought much relief to Arwen and Elrond but resulted in living daily with grief and guilt so crushing that they were suffocating at times. Strangers were nonexistent; Kagome was lucky enough to avoid contact with elves outside of Elrond, Arwen, and two twins who turned out to be Elrond's sons. Communication was virtually impossible, though Arwen was in the process of learning Kagome's language from Elrond, who still hadn't explained how he knew it. And nobody had managed to explain Kagome's ears, no matter how hard they tried.

However, time began to pass in a normal manner again, and Kagome slowly began to make peace with her life. After almost a year, while walking the gardens, she felt for the first time since her arrival that Rivendell was a beautiful place. The next day she asked to learn the languages of Middle Earth, as it seemed she would be staying for quite some time if not for good; the pleased smile Arwen gave her at the request left a warm feeling in her chest that for once did not leave Kagome feeling guilty. The more she and Elrond spoke to each other, the more they found between the two of them that many of Kagome's strange experiences could be satisfactorily explained. As the weeks slipped into months and years, Kagome began to settle in at Rivendell and meet other inhabitants, and although she never left Rivendell or the woods surrounding it, she began to feel at home.

Over a hundred years would pass before she would meet anyone outside the race of elves, and he happened to be a wizard in the midst of an adventure. Listening to his stories, she felt a spark of curiosity flare and a desire to travel again began to gnaw at her. By the time Gandalf set off again, he had gained a companion and she had acquired a new bow and arrow, along with a starter's knowledge of sword fighting. When Kagome returned from their first adventure, she was an excellent swordsman and had combined her own spiritual abilities with the magic of Middle Earth, both Elven and wizard alike, to create a potent power that was uniquely hers.

Three-hundred years later…

"I don't like it, Gandalf," Kagome grumped from her seat beside the wizard as they rattled towards the Shire with a cart full of fireworks. "You're roping me into something, I can feel it. I hate getting roped into things without knowing what I'm supposed to be doing."

"Don't be silly, my dear," Gandalf smiled. "I am simply ensuring that you attend Bilbo's party. Even you must enjoy a good party every now and then, and you know he is awfully fond of you."

"Ha! Bilbo and I always get into trouble when in each other's company. You've known that since you conned me into the Smaug debacle." Gandalf tried and failed to smother a chuckle, and Kagome frowned at him. "If I didn't like you so much, Gandalf, maybe I'd be able to tell you 'no' for once."

"Then it is for my benefit to be in your good graces," Gandalf commented with a wry grin. Kagome glanced over and felt the corners of her lips curl up in spite of herself.

"As if you could ever be out of them," she said, relenting and smiling along with her companion. They traveled along in companionable silence until a mop of dark curly hair appeared beside the cart, falling over a pair of bright blue eyes.

"You're late, Gandalf," Frodo proclaimed with a frown.

"A wizard is never early nor late, Frodo Baggins," Gandalf replied solemnly. "He arrives precisely when he is needed." Feeling mirthful gazes from both Kagome and Frodo, Gandalf felt his stoic expression crumbling as a chortle bubbled up. Kagome rolled her eyes as the wizard and the hobbit began laughing, and Frodo flung himself into the cart with a grin.

Kagome harrumphed as she sat in Bag End, awaiting the arrival of one Bilbo Baggins. The party, having a huge turnout and being tremendous fun, had broken up rather abruptly as Bilbo finished his speech by saying farewell and vanishing in front of his guests.

"Really, Gandalf," she grumped. "What he was thinking. Thought it would be a load of fun, some tremendous practical joke, I bet. Idiot."

"A great trick, in his mind," Gandalf reasoned, though he paced back and forth in the dark. "It is that ring he used that worries me, not his motives behind his prank."

"Speaking of pranks, Merry and Pippin were only having a little fun," Kagome remarked lightly, trying to ignore the growing anxiety she felt. "You didn't have to make them do all the dishes."

"Never meddle with a wizard's belongings. You never know what you may get into," Gandalf replied. "A lesson they would do well to learn now and not later."

"I mess with your stuff all the time!"

"Ah, but you know what you are doing. Hush, now, I think I hear him at the door. And let me take care of this—I think I can make Bilbo see sense." Kagome obediently sat back against the wall and soon heard the door swing open and shut in the darkness. Only after the doorway had closed did Bilbo appear. Kagome glanced at Gandalf's face and saw him gazing at the golden trinket in Bilbo's hand with a furrowed brow while Bilbo chuckled to himself.

"I suppose you think that was terribly clever." Bilbo started at Kagome's voice and turned to see the pair waiting for him.

"Come on, Gandalf! Did you see their faces?" The hobbit chortled again, but Gandalf was unamused.

"There are many magic rings in this world, Bilbo Baggins, and _none_ of them should be used lightly," the wizard chided as Bilbo began gathering his belongings.

"It was just a bit of fun!" Seeing Gandalf's stare, Bilbo glanced at Kagome to find her looking equally stern and his shoulders slumped. "Oh, you're probably right, as usual. You'll both keep an eye on Frodo, won't you?"

"Four, as often as we can," Kagome answered.

"I'm leaving everything to him," Bilbo continued, gathering items as he went.

"What about this ring of yours? Is that staying too?"

"Yes, yes! It's in an envelope over there on the mantle," Bilbo said shortly in response to Gandalf's question. "No…wait, it's…here in my pocket…" Kagome felt anxiety growing as Gandalf turned from the fireplace to watch Bilbo gently turning the ring over in his hand. "Isn't that…isn't that odd now…yet…after all…why shouldn't I keep it?"

"Bilbo, I think you should leave the ring with Frodo," Kagome said slowly. "That's not so hard, is it?"

"Well, no…and yes" Bilbo said before slowly looking back at the ring. "Now it comes to it, I don't feel like parting with it. It's mine, I found it, it came to me!"

"There's no need to get angry." Kagome raised her hands in a placating gesture.

"Well if I'm angry it's your fault! It's mine…mine…my precious."

"Precious? It's been called that before, but not by you," Gandalf said, narrowing his eyes.

"What business is it of yours what I do with my own things?!"

"I think you've had that ring quite long enough."

"You want it for yourself!"

"_Bilbo Baggins!" _Gandalf roared, the house creaking and growing dim around him. "Do not take me for some conjurer of cheap tricks! I am not trying to rob you."

"We're only trying to help, Bilbo," Kagome said quietly as the creaking settled and light returned to the house. Stricken, Bilbo embraced Gandalf, ashamed of his outburst.

"All your long years we have been friends. Trust me as you once did, mm? Let it go." Gandalf spoke kindly.

"You're right, Gandalf," he acquiesced. "The ring must go to Frodo." The hobbit walked around to the table, gathering his pack and walking stick and striding to the door as he spoke. "It's late. The road is long. Yes, it is time."

"Bilbo," Kagome's voice held a warning as she stood, moving a few steps towards the door. "The ring is still in your pocket."

"Ah. Yes." Slowly the ring was removed from his pocket; he held it for a long moment, gazing at it intently. And then, slowly, he tipped his hand and the ring fell to the ground. Kagome sighed in relief and followed Gandalf to the door as Bilbo stepped over the threshold. As the three of them stood in the night air, Bilbo paused to turn back.

"I've thought up an ending to my book. 'And he lived happily ever after, to the end of his days.'" Kagome felt tears of fondness prick her eyelids at the words, and Gandalf knelt to eye level with Bilbo.

"And I'm sure you will, friend," the wizard said, clasping Bilbo's hand.

"Goodbye, Gandalf."

"Goodbye, dear Bilbo." Gandalf released the hobbit's hand, and Bilbo turned to face Kagome.

"Goodbye, Kagome lass."

"Oh, Bilbo." Kagome strode forward and wrapped him in a tight hug. When she felt her voice was steady again, she pulled back. "Goodbye."

And Bilbo turned and walked through the gate, humming to himself as he began his journey down the road.

"Until our next meeting," Gandalf said to himself with a smile. "Well, Kagome, I believe Frodo will soon be returning, and he will have questions upon questions for us. Shall we sit and make ourselves a pot of tea?"

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**Forgive me if it's short. I just wanted to get something up for everyone who follows this despite the fact that I never update. I hope to be updating again within the month, but between my job, my classes (UGH ENGINEERING WHY DID I PICK YOU WHY COULDN'T I JUST GO INTO MUSIC AND ACTUALLY ENJOY ALL THE BUCKETLOADS OF WORK) and some relationship issues I can't really promise that. At any rate the next update will DEFINITELY come sooner than this guy!**

**THANK YOU ALL YOU BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE FOR FOLLOWING THIS. IT MAKES ME HAPPIER THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE.**


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